Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-06-28
sALTED MINES.
riRrSo GOLD pusr FROM siIor ouss
Isl Louis Globe Demccrai,l

lluINU GOLD DlHI EkUM ~itVl ttF~
St. Louis Globe Democrat
A friend Of mine who hal been egg 4.
ed for years in mining In C.liforni.,
Nevada and New Mexico, aud ~ho IL
sbou, the beet expert | ever knew. was
employed to examine q mine, which hsd
been f.vor.bly reported upon by three
other experts. lie took his own sssayet
aud went to the mine. I, did no, great
" plsa,e him ., the fret glance. as tie
roek looked dead. and there were no 10.
diea,ioas OF any rich ore.
lie wen, through the mine. taking
samples from all parts. which he ,urn'd
over to hi. s..yer. fully expecting ,ha,
be would fnd very little mineral. hut
to hi. surprise the ore ran about $500
ton. lie wen, through the mine sgsin.
exercising particular care In the selection
Of hn samples. bu, the rs'ulis OF the
assay wsie even greater than before. lie
was almos, convinced ,hA, the mine Was
genuine, a. be did no, see the less, trace
Of any saliing process.
lie went 20 the owners and told them
the result, Il bis examination. but said
that be should make no rpIr, unless
they would turn the mine over TO him
for Is hour.. and le, him do VIA, he
pleased with IL. After some hesitation
they consented. and the mex, morning
be took gang u men down the .hsf,
and blasted to the righ, aud left. clean.
ing away the exposed rock. AID taking
his samples from the newly exposed vail.
The assays made from these did no; yield
a trace Of mineral. .nd he saw tina, the
mite mus, have been sAli,d. bat how be
could no, imsgine
Az las, be vent To the osEers ard
asked them poin, blshk hos they had
done il. They. seeing thu, there was no
longer the ,lish,es, chance Of selling the
mine. fnslly told him They bad scrap
Cd together = quantity q the 'of, tale
that i. nearly always found Adheiing 10
the fco,-all of mines aud mixed geld
dus, With /, until the composition would
assay sbog, $4,000 ton. They then
pa, Il in,o shotgun. and hfedi Il against
the vail, Of the mine. The force OF the
explosion scattered IL over the entire
wall and caused the tale TO penetrate
every er,iee. 30 thu, gold would be
found in a sample taken from any part
Of the mine.
Oa another occasion myself came
near bsing vieiimifed wen, 20 ,nsn-
ine = mine in New Mexico aud my as
say. rAa very high. The mine looked
well. and though, At hn, that there
could De little doub, Of IL. value. Bot
With the conservation which oomts from
long ,Hpstisnee. l Determined 20 exhaust
every means Of examinstion, srd told
the o-nsr iha, wanted 10 'ink the
shaft ten fee, deeper. and take my
sample, ifom the ore should fad there.
A. VA. going home tia, night al sn
usually late hour. CHANGED 20 pass The
mouth q the shaft. And "a. surprised 20
hear sound. proceeding from It. I. II
some ons VAS ehurnisg al the bottom.
Determined 70 discover the cause Of these
unusual noises. eisp, to the platform
and looked down the shaft.
saw two men ~ the bottom. oEe
drillins Lol. and the other working
ehurnda.ker soon the drilling ceased.
The man with the ehurn poured some
LIQUID into the hole ard pounded upon u
with something like ehurnds.her |
could hear their oonvs'ss,ion from where
lay, and soon found that VIA, they
were doing va, Of great Pef'onsl Interest
10 me. One said:
eve ought TO have set quad a. the
mouth Of tie shaft.
"Non,ense. ,.id hi, companion; mo
one ever come. here a, this hou'."
"well." aid the first, "he can sink
hi. ten Zee, after We gs, through. ard
twenty more II he wants 20.
tad heard enough. AID quietly ven,
home. Mex, morning saw the owner
AID told him d!d 70, care TO sink bis
shaft any deeper. +. had decided no, to
recommend the mine. lie became very
indignan, aud talked 90 Extensively ,hA,
a, las, | said 10 him.
MY friend. you had better keep quiet.
I was a. yoar mine AZ three O'Clock this
morning and saw What Was going on.
Ills Jaw dropped. be looked a, ne IN
surprise. but saw ,hs, the game ". up
and lef, without word. The ,riek be
had tried to play upon ms u one we'll
known 10 ell sslter,. A solu,ioa Of gold
is made by some chemical process which
will penetrate the hardest rock TO q
depth Of sigh, OF ten fee, and give excel.
len, assays, where there Is no mineral At
all.
The las, A,;tmp, q, sailing OF which
have any kno~ledse "" ,riei upon my
self. Iva. sent 10 look =, nine which
had twice been favorably reported upon.
The owner received me mos, kospi,ably.
and insisted on my rem aiming a, bis
house, saying that his four daughters
were very lonely anil would be glad 70
see me. | declined ,ki, tifer. bu, sgred
to breakfast with hi. family the nsa,
morning before examining the mine.
After breakfast the young ladies insisted
on accompanying me and showing me
through the mine.
They were very polite, oae Of them
going in froat OF me and directing me
where to take my samples from. no,ic-
ed she had way Of brushing her skirt
asains, the wall. ani leaning agsins,
them jus, tefors | took q sample. |
,hosght this proceeding rather unusual
aud watched her closely. Ia an un.
guarded mOmen, she cough, her over.
Skin, upon a.prCjee'iOn md pulled it
back, allowing me TO see two or three lit
tie bags. which were hidden beneath IT.
! said nothing, but soon ascended the shaft,
saying ,hs, would complete ny exam.
nation the next morning. When re-
turned they again offered TO accompany
-. -. I..l,n.J I'D tksv xt,hfvsu